Sainsbury's is to axe 2,000 jobs over the next three years as part of a major cost-cutting programme.

The company has previously stated it is committed to slashing £150m of costs this year and £500m in the following three years.

As a result, Sainsbury's confirmed on Tuesday (October 17) that around 1,400 HR and payroll jobs were expected to be cut from its operations.

A further 600 HR and additional support staff roles are expected to be axed from the grocery chain, Argos and Sainsbury's Bank.

The company currently employs around 195,000 staff across the UK.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "The UK grocery market is changing at a rapid pace and it's crucial that we transform the way we operate to meet future challenges and continue to provide customers with best in class service.

"Following a comprehensive review, we are proposing some updates to our HR structures and systems, as well as changes to a number of other support roles, subject to consultation."

The spokesman added: "This has been a difficult decision and we appreciate that this will be a tough time for those colleagues affected by the changes.

"We will support them in any way we can."

Sainsbury's is not the only supermarket chain cutting jobs though.

In August, Asda confirmed it had axed nearly 300 jobs at its head office as part of its own cost-cutting drive, while a further 800 staff had the scope of their job descriptions changed as part of a shake-up.

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